The days I wore this Kenzo dress actually as a dress are gone. Too short, even with a pencil skirt underneath it (see this post). My knees are too old and even my shapely legs are too old now to put on display. I weep but it is time to come to terms with it.
I have worn the dress as a jacket with skinny jeans and in today’s post you’ll see it as a tunic with white jeans and two different belts.
Over to the day of the photo shoot. It was a great day with my friends Sabine and Anke. The three of us have a WhatsApp group called Shopping Saturday and shopping is exactly what we did. And talking of course.
Below: Sabine striking a pose.
Below: Anke, smiling modestly.
Below: We found a tunnel with graphic work on the walls.
Below: We made good use of it. Circles on the wall, circles on my tunic dress. The belt is one which I purchased long ago but only wore it once. I thought it would be nice with the dress.
Below: Sabine took a photo of Anke against the wall as well. She is carrying my white shopper.
Below: We went back to the street and saw this sign telling us that drinking alcohol in that area is forbidden, according to local regulations, article…(someone put a sticker with his head on top of it haha). Sabine ordered us to stand beneath the sign. Anke’s photo was the best one.
Below: Sabine and Anke. The three of us really like each other and appreciate our friendship, as we also mentioned to one another.
Below: The way the sun shone through the leaves…gorgeous. Never mind that woman in the middle of the street…look at the trees.
Below: Resting bitch face while checking the photos we made. As if I can see anything without my reading glasses. Nearly choking Sabine who still had the camera strap around her neck.
Below: We passed this shop which was beautifully decorated. What struck me were the (artificial) flowers they had put in between the stones of the pavement. It looks great.
Below: By this time I had swapped my burgundy leather belt for the fabric belt that came with the dress. The belt is meant to be worn quite differently (only on one side, leaving the dress hanging loose) but I don’t like that (sorry Kenzo designers). I had the belt extended a few inches to wear at my waist.
Below: Trust Sabine to position my head next to the bare buttocks of this statue haha.
Below: It was time for lunch and Sabine took this photo in a corner of the restaurant.
Below: Anke was checking her iPhone.
Next stop was a vintage store.
Below: Sabine in a sequinned top which she didn’t buy and neither the skirt.
Below: She did buy this golden waist-coat as she needed golden clothes for a theme party.
Below: Time to pay.
On to the next vintage shop. We were in Haarlemmerstraat and Haarlemmerdijk. An area with many, many vintage shops.
Below: Anke trying on a sequinned top and a tulle skirt. It also came in green (lying on the chair in front of her), so we think the skirts weren’t vintage.
Below: Sabine was the one who discovered the tulle skirts and she bought the pink one, saying “What the heck.”.
Below: Close-up of Sabine’s trainers.
There were no dressing rooms which would never stop us from trying on clothes. What we always do, is just drop the trousers and try the stuff with our trousers hanging down our ankles.
Below: Caught Sabine doing that haha.
Below: Caught Anke doing that too. Killing ourselves laughing.
Below: Anke tried on this sequinned dress but it didn’t make it home. Trousers down heh heh heh.
Both girls were successful with their shopping and I was busy taking photos. Until the last half hour in the last shop where I succumbed to a pair of pink cargo trousers. In my opinion (and perhaps only in my opinion), an arty, edgy and modern item, as I explained two weeks ago. You will see the trousers next week.
Below: On our way home we saw these cute balconies.
I had to leave earlier as Ron and I were invited for dinner by our neighbours.
Below: I passed this terrace on my way to the train and it looked tempting.
There will be no “What happened in my life this week” folks. I’ll explain next week.
Greetje
I love this outfit on you, Greetje, and your friends too. Thanks for sharing your style!
It’s my pleasure entirely Lisa. I find blogging a great hobby.
I love the blue and white dress over the white pants. Perfect combination for warmer weather. I like it with both belts. Repurposing the dress is slow fashion at its best. It’s good for your wallet and the environment.
I need to do some vintage shopping with friends. You’re having such a good time. The sequined dress looked great on Anke. The trainers with the tulle skirt on Sabine was a very fun combination.
It feels safe to say you enjoyed the post. Splendid.
I often try to use a garment which no longer fits but which I still love, in a different way. If that fails, it will move on to someone else.
Clever use of the Kenzo dress. I like the look with both belts. Maybe the darker belt a little better. I think your shopping trips with friends is a great idea. How fun! And so you’ll know, I feel a little worried that you are stopping the What’s Happening in Your Life segment.
If a garment doesn’t fit anymore, I look for ways to make it work. If everything fails, the item moves on to someone else.
I am not stopping the What happened in my life segment. But I was on holiday last week and I didn’t want the world to know. It might not be difficult to find out where I live and when you invite burglars to come and visit ..
Also, I didn’t have my computer with me and did all the replying work on my phone.
Anyway, I am back and you will see the holiday snapshots next week haha. It was lovely.
Fantastic blue top of Sabine’s, and her multicoloured trainers! There seem to be so many great individual clothes shops in your town. I also loved the artificial flowers planted in the pavements. Here in London we have big arches of artificial flowers around the certain restaurant entrances, but none decorating our pavements. Perhaps there’s just too much chewing-gum and general detritus in our crowded city.
Sabine is a fantastic stylist and she loves clothes as much as I do or perhaps even more, haha. I have seen many of the artificial flowers around restaurant entrances in London but like you, I had never seen them planted in the pavement. As far as chewing-gum and general detritus (thanks for teaching me another word) are concerned…believe me, Amsterdam has its fair share.
Well, I loved this dress when you wore it as a dress, and the excuse of the state of your knees is no good to me, the state of our body is what it is at any given moment, and you look great. Anyway, it’s your decision, obviously. I also like it with white pants, it’s a nice casual look, but it’s something else, another level. You and your friends have a great time in the dressing rooms.
Of course you are right in saying that the state of our body is what it is at any given moment. But I am not in that acceptance stage yet. I will one day, I hope.
I have the feeling that women in hotter countries accept their aging bodies much quicker. They have to, I think, as covering up everything means they would be a lot warmer than necessary.
Love the dress styled this way! What fun you all have when you shop.
Thanks to your friends for being photographed. I love seeing their style too 🙂
It is a joy that so many of my friends don’t mind being featured on my blog. Their styles give you more inspiration. And it makes my post more interesting. Kudos to them.
Styling a dress which is too short this way is my trick with a lot of dresses, especially the ones from the Max Mara group. Those Italian women aren’t as tall as the Dutch.
Greetje,
I followed the link back to your previous post..
You’ve reminded me of the wisdom in modifying clothes that don’t quite work..
so I’ve just unpicked half of the side-seam of a button up shirt so that it has a leaner look (and I can suavely put my hands in my jeans pockets) and put some elastic in the back of another linen top which has felt too boxy and voila, now I have two items that I will wear out the door, (rather than try on and drop on the floor in a huff). Thanks!
I am so glad I inspired you to alter the clothes that no longer work. I have many tricks up my sleeve to make things work. Using “fashion tape” to keep tops from slipping, is my most used one.
You made me laugh with “try on and drop on the floor in a huff” haha. So recognizable.
Oh, I love that dress styled this way! It’s fabulous.
Looks like you’re finally getting some nice weather?? The shopping trip looks like fun (as always)…can’t wait to see the cargo pants.
Sylvia and I have this same dress. She found it in a department store in the Netherlands and I copied her. Luckily she didn’t mind, which I understand. It is not as if we will run into each other wearing this dress haha.
If a dress is too short, put trousers underneath it. An easy trick.
The weather was good for about a week. Miserable again. But in five days it should be good again. Fingers crossed.
What a fun outing you shared with us. I’d love a regular shopping outing with fun friends. I think both belts with the Kenzo dress, and because you have the height, the leather belt definitely adds style. I prefer the matching one, because the eye isn’t interrupted…and being short…that would be my way of wearing the outfit. Like another reader, Susan Snow, I have shortened dresses, that show my “unfortunate” knees, into longer tunic blouses, and that really works well for me. Love the pieces , so changes are made to be able to wear confidently. Summer looks like it’s almost here , and the water is calling me for a swim perhaps at high tide in the late afternoon…here off the east coast of Vancouver Island.
These Shopping Saturdays with Anke and Sabine are stellar. We often go a bit overboard. Fortunately not this time. Well, at least not me haha.
I don’t need to alter this dress. Just by wearing jeans or other trousers with it, I turn the dress in a tunic. I don’t mind this length.
I hope you will have a good summer. In the Netherlands summer is still not here…sigh.
All three of you look great in your white and cream pants! And the vintage shopping looks really fun. What a great group!
Have a good week.
Thanks Anne. We had a lot of fun and found some great things. What a day.
The dress makes a great tunic over pants. Personally, I prefer it with the belt that came with it, but both looks are good and it’s always nice to be able to wear something more than one way.
I always enjoy seeing the posts with your shopping friends. You obviously have so much fun together!
I agree with you. It looks better with the belt that came with the dress.
Now that I have established that, I won’t wear it with the leather belt anymore. That’s just who I am.
This dress makes a great tunic with your pants. Sometimes (another idea here) if you have dresses you don’t wear anymore because they are too short (but still love the dress) you can have then shortened to more like tunic length to wear with your pants. Just a thought. I have done this, especially in my old terribly tight for money days. Take care.
The dress has intricate pockets which makes it hard to shorten. But I like it like this so there is no need. I can also wear it as a jacket.
I love the dress worn exactly as you’ve shown –blue and white is always great, IMO. Re old legs, wow, I figured I’d avoid this, as I was pretty athletic and in good shape. No matter. I caught a recent photo of myself and was horrified. What happened?!?!
Indeed, blue and white is such an easy combination.
And I recognise that moment of horror. I always thought that the shape of your legs was most important. And the shape of my legs is excellent. But the skin, the veins, the spots aagghh.